Cheesy Balkan bourekas with eggplant and tomatoes

  

Ingredients  For the dough:

½kg / 3 cups flour 

100 gm /½ cup butter cubed

100 ml /½ cup minus a tbsp olive oil

120 mL / ½ cup water

5gm / 1 tsp baking powder

1tsp salt flat

For filling:

1large eggplant / brinjal cut into small squares

¼ cup olive oil

1 tomato chopped

1tsp cumin pdr 

1handful parsley / coriander leave chopped finely

100 gm feta crumbled

150gm Jarlsberg cheese grated OR Emmental, Gruyère, and Gouda

salt to taste

1tsp pepper pdr

For topping:

1egg

Sesame seeds to sprinkle

 

Instructions

To prepare dough:

In a large bowl, mix flour, butter, oil, water, baking powder and salt into a uniform dough. Work with your hands until dough is soft and pliable, about 5 minutes.

To prepare filling:

Preheat pan to medium-high heat. Start by adding 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add cubed eggplant and cook, stirring often and adding oil as necessary, until browned on all sides. Be liberal and ensure to use the total ¼ cup of oil - eggplant loves oil! This should take about 15 minutes.

Add tomatoes and cook until their raw flavour passes and tomatoes break down into sauce, about 10 minutes. Add herbs, cumin, salt and pepper and cook an additional 5 minutes. Add feta and 120g of Jarlsberg, reserving 30 grams. Taste and correct seasonings as needed.

Preheat oven to 360Arrange a baking sheet with parchment paper.

To assemble Balkan bourekas: Roll dough into balls, each weighing about 35 grams. Roll each ball with a rolling pin. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each dough circle. Distribute remaining Jarlsberg cheese, sprinkling it on top of each bourekas. Close each bourekas into a crescent shape. Press on the edges of the dough with a fork or pinch them with your fingers to ensure proper sealing.

Transfer Balkan bourekas to baking sheet. In a small bowl, scramble egg with a drop of water. Brush the top of each bourekas with egg wash, and sprinkle with sesame. Vegetarians can use milk wash, brush with milk, some may prefer to brush with melted butter/ oil

Bake in a 360F oven for 25 minutes, until Balkan bourekas are golden. Remove, let cool for a minute and eat immediately for that fresh-out-of-the-oven taste and maximum cheesy goodness.

 

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